Marking of fresh produce with “Made in Israel” label gets underway
Minister of Economy and Industry, Eli Cohen: “The addition of the Made in Israel label to local produce, as has been done for industrial products for several years now, will substantially expand the basket of products labeled as blue-white products. This is yet another step up in the efforts being invested by the Ministry of Economy and Industry to promote local production and prefer Israeli-made goods in order to encourage industry and agriculture, bolstering the Israeli economy”.
Minister of Agriculture, Uri Ariel: “The new label will give Israeli farmers pride of place and it will strengthen the bond with the consumer. I am sure the public will prefer to buy local, blue-white produce thereby supporting Israeli farmers”.
The Blue and White Division at the Ministry of Economy and Industry, together with the Ministry of Agriculture, the Farmers Federation of Israel and the Manufacturers Association of Israel are working to label local produce with a blue-white “Made in Israel” label. The label will enable consumers to easily identify local produce and buy it fully confident of its manufacturing locale. Marking with the label will, according to the ministries’ estimates, increase consumer awareness of the issue and will reinforce the growers’ pride in their work. The label is voluntary. Any farmer growing produce in Israel will be able to join in according to the enrollment procedure.
The labeling will be similar to the labeling of other products, using a logo and the text “Made in Israel” and the grower’s details. The label will be stamped on the package or, alternatively, each locally grown fruit and vegetable when sold in bulk, will bear a sticker. The list of farmers who will receive the label will be posted on the Blue-White products website: www.madeinisrael.gov.il.
The Farmers Federation of Israel will coordinate the requests from farmers to receive the label, will check and approve them, and transfer its recommendation to the Made in Israel (Blue-White) headquarters at the Manufacturers Association of Israel, which will approve the request and send the logo to the farmers. The service is free of charge and is voluntary at the farmer’s discretion.
Due to the great importance the government ministries and consumers attach to this label, inspections will be made by representatives of the Ministry of Economy and Industry, the Ministry of Agriculture, and the Farmers Federation of Israel at retail outlets, sorting, storage, and packing facilities. The inspections will be carried out to verify compliance with the terms, or in case a complaint is received arousing suspicion the business is violating the rules. If the farmer is also an importer, then he will be required to store his home-grown produce separately, and to handle it in a separate site than the imported produce, in order to be eligible for the label.
Uri Zuk Bar, Deputy Director General of the Research, Economics, and Strategy Division at the Ministry of Agriculture: “The Made in Israel label will distinguish the local produce from the imported and will enable the consumer to prefer the fresh local produce while being completely assured of its origin. We expect the labeling will boost local farmers’ pride and will encourage them to bring good, branded produce to the market thanks to the label”.
Naama Kaufman-Pass, Deputy Director-General of the Ministry of Economy and Industry responsible for industry: “Israeli industry drives growth, the economy, and employment. Buying products made in Israel is of great importance for the continued progress of Israeli industry and for driving it forward, increasing employment. Marking agricultural products with the Made in Israel (Blue-White) label will help identify products made in Israel, to choose an overall basket of Israeli products, thereby supporting both Israeli farming and the economy”.
Eli Cohen, chairman of the Manufacturers Association of Israel (Blue-White) headquarters at the Manufacturers Association of Israel: “this complementary, commendable move to label fresh produce, and to increase public awareness of the distinction between blue-white homegrown produce and imported goods, will certainly help strengthen Israeli agriculture, industry and economy. The Manufacturers Association of Israel regards the strengthening of the ties, and the full cooperation between agriculture and local industry, to be a central motif in consolidating the Israeli economy and Blue-White products. We at the Manufacturers Association of Israel will provide our farmers all of the assistance and support needed to obtain the Made in Israel label to mark their fresh local produce”.
Farmers interested in participating in the project can contact Ms. Zipi Fridkin at the Ministry of Agriculture via email at Tsipip@moag.gov.il or by phone: 03-9485799